Cuban Sandwich Day
Cuban Sandwich Day is celebrated annually on August 23rd and honors the delicious Cuban sandwich, a beloved culinary staple. This flavorful sandwich traditionally consists of Cuban bread filled with roasted pork, ham, Swiss cheese, pickles, and mustard. The sandwich is known for its crispy exterior, thanks to its grilling process, and its savory, tangy, and slightly sweet flavor profile. Cuban Sandwich Day is an opportunity for food enthusiasts to appreciate this iconic dish, which has its roots in Cuban immigrant communities in Florida and has since gained popularity across the United States. Whether enjoyed at a local café or made at home, it’s a day to savor and celebrate this delightful, hearty sandwich.
Sponge Cake Day
Sponge Cake Day is celebrated on August 23rd each year, recognizing one of the most classic and versatile types of cake. Sponge cake is known for its light, airy texture and simple ingredients, typically including eggs, sugar, and flour, with no added leavening agents. This cake gets its rise from the air incorporated into the batter during mixing and beating. Its spongy consistency makes it a perfect base for a variety of fillings and toppings, such as fresh fruit, whipped cream, or fondant. Sponge Cake Day is a great occasion to bake or enjoy this delightful treat, whether in its traditional form or as part of more elaborate desserts like trifles or layered cakes.
August 23rd has been a significant date throughout history with a variety of notable events:
Historical Events
1541: French explorer Jacques Cartier lands near Quebec City on his third voyage to Canada.
1572: The St. Bartholomew’s Day massacre takes place in Paris, where mobs attack thousands of Huguenots during the French Wars of Religion.
1595: Wallachian prince Michael the Brave defeats the Ottoman army in the Battle of Călugăreni during the Long Turkish War.
1600: Tokugawa Ieyasu’s eastern forces defeat the western Japanese clans in the Battle of Gifu Castle, which leads to the destruction of Gifu Castle and foreshadows the Battle of Sekigahara.
1784: North Carolina counties declare themselves the breakaway state of Franklin.
1850: The American National Women’s Rights Conference is held.
1853: The International Weather Organization is established.
1861: Confederate spy Rose O’Neal Greenhow is arrested.
1862: James Stone of Ohio, who was married to a white woman and was very light skinned, enlists to fight for the Union during the Civil War, becoming the first Black person to do so.
1914: The Battle of Mons takes place during World War I.
1945: The Battle of Shumshu ends in a Soviet victory, and the Battle of Baoying ends in a communist victory.
1973: The Norrmalmstorg robbery begins in Stockholm, Sweden, when Jan-Erik Olsson enters the Kreditbanken bank and takes four employees hostage.
1999: New York City reports the first cases of West Nile virus.
2000: The first Survivor finale airs.
2006: Former baseball player and manager Pete Rose is banned from baseball after an investigation determines he bet on games.
Birthdays
Actors: Shelley Long, 75, and Mark Hudson, 73, of The Hudson Brothers.
Musicians: Linda Thompson, 77, and Dean DeLeo, 63, of Stone Temple Pilots.
Other celebrities: Oliver Hazard Perry, naval hero, Arnold Toynbee, economist, Gene Kelly, dancer, Keith Moon, rock drummer, Julio Franco, former Indians player, River Phoenix, actor, and Kobe Bryant, NBA All-Star.
Producers and writers: Park Chan-wook, born in 1963 in Seoul, South Korea, is known for The Handmaiden (2016), Oldboy (2003), and Decision to Leave (2022).
Deaths
2016: Steven Hill, U.S. actor known best for his portrayal of District Attorney Adam Schiff for the first 10 seasons of “Law & Order,” dies at 94.
2012: Steve Van Buren, U.S. Pro Football Hall of Fame running back for the Philadelphia Eagles who rushed for almost 6,000 yards in his career and led the Eagles to two NFL championships, dies of pneumonia at 91.
2012: Jerry Nelson, U.S. puppeteer known best for his work with the Muppets, whose longest-running character was Count von Count, dies of pneumonia at 78.
2012: James Fogle, U.S. author known best for his autobiographical novel “Drugstore Cowboy,” which was adapted into a movie starring Matt Dillon, dies while in prison at 75.
2007: Robert Symonds, U.S. actor who had a recurring role on “Dynasty” and guest-starred on such television series as “M*A*S*H” and “Cheers,” dies of complications of prostate cancer at 80.
2006: Maynard Ferguson, Canadian jazz trumpeter who had a hit song with the instrumental version of the theme song for the movie “Rocky,” “Gonna Fly Now,” dies at 78.
2005: Brock Peters, U.S. actor known best for playing the role of Tom Robinson in “To Kill a Mockingbird,” who also portrayed Fleet Admiral Cartwright in two “Star Trek“ movies, dies of complications of pancreatic cancer at 78.
2003: Bobby Bonds, U.S. Major League Baseball outfielder who was the second player to hit more than 300 home runs and steal more than 300 bases after Willie Mays and was the father of baseball player Barry Bonds, dies at 57 after being treated for a brain tumor and lung cancer.
2002: Hoyt Wilhelm, U.S. Major League Baseball Hall of Fame relief pitcher who was known for his knuckleball and was the first pitcher to record more than 200 saves in his career, dies of heart failure at 80.
2001: Peter Maas, U.S. author known best for writing the book “Serpico” and “The Valachi Papers,” dies at 72.
2001: Kathleen Freeman, U.S. character actress known for her comic roles, appearing in 11 Jerry Lewis films and on the TV series “The Donna Reed Show” and “Hogan’s Heroes,” dies of lung cancer at 82.
1999: Norman Wexler, U.S. screenwriter who wrote the movie “Saturday Night Fever” and co-wrote the movie “Serpico,” who suffered from severe bipolar disorder and was arrested in 1972 for threatening to kill President Richard Nixon, dies at 73.
1990: David Rose, U.S. songwriter, composer, and pianist whose most famous song is “The Stripper” and who wrote music for many television series, including “Bonanza” and “Little House on the Prairie,” and was married at one time to Judy Garland, dies at 80.
1975: Hank Patterson, U.S. actor known best for his regular role as the farmer Fred Ziffel on the sitcoms “Green Acres” and “Petticoat Junction,” dies at 86.
1966: Francis X. Bushman, U.S. film actor who was a star during the silent era and was the first to be called the King of the Movies, a nickname given later to Clark Gable, dies at 83.
1962: Hoot Gibson, U.S. actor who was a star of Western movies from the 1920s until the ’40s, dies at 70.
1960: Oscar Hammerstein II, U.S. librettist and theatrical producer who teamed with Jerome Kern on the play “Show Boat” and with Richard Rodgers on “Oklahoma!” – and whose many songs included “Oklahoma” and “Getting To Know You” – dies at 65.
1926: Rudolph Valentino, Italian film actor who was a sex symbol during the silent era and starred in popular movies such as “The Sheik,” dies of peritonitis at 31.
